Information, electron and energy transfer in surface layers

Abstract

The formation of interlayer-dimers of dye molecules and the cleavage between monomolecular layers are studied and considered as the basis of a device for copying information at the molecular level and for separating the copy from the original. Infomnation at the submicron level is copied by contacting a dye monolayer with a template. On illumination the dye is bleached except in the proximity of the template where it is stabilized by energy trans- fer. Simple models demonstrating signal transduction and transfer based on the planned cooperation of a few molecules are constructed by superimposing appropriate monolayers. Arrangements are obtained that represent systems of correlated switches acting as new entities where entirely independent reactions are coupled at the molecular level.